Watch your stuff on the beaches

[Hosehead]

So, lying on the beach enjoying a nice afternoon, I watch as 3 pretty Russian female tourists rent some sun loungers next to me and start photographing the beautiful backdrop that is Camps Bay Beach. Shortly afterwards, maybe 15 mins afterwards, a couple of males and a female meander towards me, seemingly making their way back up to the road. They half dressed for the beach, Y fronts, and city suit bottoms and they squeeze past me and the Russians in single file.The next minute I hear a shout and one of the Russians is tearing off after these people who have swiped a camera off the top of her bag on sunlounger-her camera, and she saw it being taken.
She caught up with them about 50m away and returned with her camera and the other Russians huddled around her in fear and shock. The half dressed thieves walked on, unconcerned. Not a Policeman in sight.
It happened so quick.
Watch your stuff on the beaches

 

[waynegohl]

where are the police or at least someone to watch over the sun bathers. we were flying a kite at Milnerton Lagoon a few weeks back and these guys were suiping and peeing on the rocks that lined the walkway to the beach.

Disgusting.

 

[ZA.Schmidt]

Cape Town beaches are notorious for prowling scum. Another trick is when people 'hide' their money in their cigarette boxes, the theives will see this and come up to you a while later and ask for a cig. Usually you will forget the money in the box and instead of taking a cig, they make off with the cash.

 

[plazma]

I drove past all the beaches from Camps Bay to Gordons Bay today - it was too hot to get out.

 

[gpe]

Aren't enough police to monitor Camps Bay and Clifton. The police station is more like a single room (smaller one). Milnerton side is known for that sorta thing .. from there past Sunset towards Blouberg is practically unmonitored and there have been many muggings due to isolation. People hide in the bushes above beach. Sunset beach was great until single walkers started getting assaulted in evenings. Still pretty though!

 

[Milano]

When I was a kid we left all our stuff on the beach. Also, when we camped, we left all our belongings in the tent in the camp site. Everything was always there as we left it.

 

[Angelica]

Sick people! And when will tourists learn that this is not a place where you flash your cameras around?

 

[MacNabs]

And when will tourists learn that this is not a place where you flash your cameras around?

They won't. And I don't blame them, they go to SA from safe first world countries and they have no idea of the realities in SA.

As they say, you learn from bad experiences, I bet these two russian chicks will not walk around with their camera's again. So lesson learned for them, thank goodness they were not harmed.

Pitty about Camps Bay, what a beautiful beach it is. I use to spend many hours there, the white sand, Lions Head, now its just riddled with crime and there is no ways I would drop my kids off their for a day by themselves.

 

[Nod]

Saw a guy on Durban beach once. Walked with a big bag, and casually picked up everybody's shoes and placed it in the bag. He did it so casual, like it was the most natural thing to do. People however didn't think it was funny, and tackled him to the ground, where police took him in custody. This all happened right in front of the police station.

 

[Slootvreter]

Sick people! And when will tourists learn that this is not a place where you flash your cameras around?

Oh geez. Here we go again. The tourists are hardly to blame for leaving their stuff lying around. It is within their rights to do so, and where they come from, it probably would not have been stolen. This comment reminds me of my friend's girlfriend calling him stupid for leaving his laptop in his car after it got stolen out of his car.

 

[Angelica]

Oh geez. Here we go again. The tourists are hardly to blame for leaving their stuff lying around. It is within their rights to do so, and where they come from, it probably would not have been stolen. This comment reminds me of my friend's girlfriend calling him stupid for leaving his laptop in his car after it got stolen out of his car.

Oh geeeeez and here we go again....

Slootvreter, this is not about rights. Of course they have the 'right' to do what they want, the problem is that it is FOOLISH. They should wake up and smell the coffee. Do you see the Police doing anything about the crime? They admitted that crime is winning in SA, and people should realize they must try and prevent things like this from happening.

And sorry, I agree with your friend's girlfriend, he was absolutely brainless to leave his laptop on the his car seat. If you want to invite them to take your things, then do it, just count me out.

 

[Slootvreter]

Oh geeeeez and here we go again....

Slootvreter, this is not about rights. Of course they have the 'right' to do what they want, the problem is that it is FOOLISH. They should wake up and smell the coffee. Do you see the Police doing anything about the crime? They admitted that crime is winning in SA, and people should realize they must try and prevent things like this from happening.

And sorry, I agree with your friend's girlfriend, he was absolutely brainless to leave his laptop on the his car seat. If you want to invite them to take your things, then do it, just count me out.

What I mean it is just a sad time that in this fcked up country, the victims are regarded as fools. And as long as the victim wasn't harmed, it all good.

 

[Angelica]

What I mean it is just a sad time that in this fcked up country, the victims are regarded as fools. And as long as the victim wasn't harmed, it all good.

It is sad Slootvreter, I agree. And if you know people who come here from other countries, warn them. For some reason they think everybody can be trusted. We as the citizens also have this obligation towards other people, whether we like it or not.

Nobody likes being the victim, but we have to look at the reality. The reality is that the only way to do it, is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Be cautious, awake and alert at all times, only then will you stand a chance against the criminals.

 

[Slootvreter]

It is sad Slootvreter, I agree. And if you know people who come here from other countries, warn them. For some reason they think everybody can be trusted. We as the citizens also have this obligation towards other people, whether we like it or not.

Nobody likes being the victim, but we have to look at the reality. The reality is that the only way to do it, is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Be cautious, awake and alert at all times, only then will you stand a chance against the criminals.

While I will not on purpose leave things lying around or doors open/unlocked, I will also not appreciate being called foolish if something of mine gets stolen.
I also agree that prevention is the best method, but ridiculing the victims is hardly help.

 

[iDenTiTy]

To put it another way...

In 1998, I went to England for a bus tour around Europe.

I was at Picadilly train station, with all my bags.
Boarded the train.
At Earl's Court I got out with bags-1... It was my camera bag (1 video recorder, 2 cameras + FIFA SWC 1998 things)

I thought the worst.

About 4 minutes later a loudspeaker rang "Will Mr. ***** please go to office ..."

I went.

There I met a policeman that asked me if "this" was my belongings.

I cried (almost), because my bag (worth about R1000 - then) was lying in the office still closed.

He said someone gave it in - a youngster.

My question is this:

What are the chances of a similar "good ending" to happen here?

 

[Frankie]

It is sad Slootvreter, I agree. And if you know people who come here from other countries, warn them. For some reason they think everybody can be trusted [like they do back in their own country].

Yes, they should be warned well in advance, and if this is done you'll find a considerable number would not risk coming to SA to get ripped off.

 

[Slootvreter]

What are the chances of a similar "good ending" to happen here?

Not entirely zero, but very close to it!

 

[Angelica]

While I will not on purpose leave things lying around or doors open/unlocked, I will also not appreciate being called foolish if something of mine gets stolen.
I also agree that prevention is the best method, but ridiculing the victims is hardly help.

Well Sloot, sorry to tell you this. But we all make foolish mistakes some or other time. I know, I also don't like being called foolish, but if I make a stupid mistake I urned to be called stupid.

The key issue here is not to be caught doing the same mistake twice. There was this nice figure of speech I always seem to remember.

Fools make the same mistake over and over again.
Clever people make a mistake only once and will not be caught again.
Wise people learn from other people's mistakes....

I would like to be the 'wise' one, but even I made a foolish mistake once...

What are the chances of a similar "good ending" to happen here?

You will have the hope of a snowball in hell if you think it will have such a good ending here.

 

[TheHiveMind]

Hmm, its not the civilians responsibility to give up their freedoms to prevent crime, its infact, the governments job to fight crime.

 

[Turtle]

When I was a kid we left all our stuff on the beach. Also, when we camped, we left all our belongings in the tent in the camp site. Everything was always there as we left it.

I remember those times too; what's sad is the younger generation is going to grow up thinking the current status quo is how things have always been and that it's "normal". They won't even be able to imagine there might've been a time when things were different, nor will it even occur to them to consider it.

If you want to invite them to take your things, then do it, just count me out.

So you really think that the mere act of allowing a member of the public to see that you own a material good IS an "invitation to take it"?

That is sad. You have a right to peaceably own property and it's inscribed into the law, nowhere does it say "so long as you keep your goods hidden from public view at all times" ... the laws in effect state that a public display of ownership of property ISN'T an invitation to take it and that nobody may do so and that they would be punished for doing so, possibly with jailtime - how you get from that to "invitation" I don't know. The logical conclusion to your reasoning is that nobody must ever let anybody know or see that they own anything at all ... maybe bring your stuff home quickly and use it only in the seclusion of your own home ever, and dress like a poor man in public, never enjoying your PSP or camera or iPod anywhere except in private. If you don't see that that's beyond absurd, I find that saddening.

Imagine a judge telling a victim it was his own stupidity for leaving, say, a laptop in full view, and then letting the thief go, lol. If the idea of a judge saying something like that still registers as absurd to you, then there is hope, because if you understand why a judge shouldn't say something like that then you might be able to see why it's just as ridiculous for anyone else to say it.